The Ocean's Daughter (Sequel to Sirene)
Chapter 22 (part 1)

I still haven't been able to get my laptop fixed and because of that the writing is coming along very slow. This is the first part of Chapter 22 and I hope to have the second part up either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Hope you all enjoy :)

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Chapter 22 (part 1)

The calm morning air that hung about Miss Patterson's sitting room was broken by a pair of loud voices. Oceana, who had been playing the piano, looked up wondering what was causing the commotion. She didn't have to wait long, in a few minutes Beth and Robert came walking into the sitting room. Robert looked very amused, Beth seemed a little more upset.

“Did something happen on your walk?” Oceana asked.

“I should say something happened,” Beth burst out, throwing herself into one of the chairs. “You you will never believe who we met?”

Oceana looked from Beth to Robert and back to Beth expectantly.

“Th' fellow introduced himself as a Mr. Edward Burmmington, does th' name ring a bell, Oceana?” Robert explained to her as Beth was slow in responding.

“Noooooooo!” Oceana's eyes went wide and she gazed at Beth with disbelief. “You met him too?”

“What do you mean?” Beth was confused.

“What I mean is that only a few weeks ago I also happened to meet Burmmington on the London streets. I swear, dearest Beth, that man's one goal in life is to haunt us. But you must tell me what happened. From the look on Robert's face it was something very funny.”

“It wasn't funny, actually, well, not as funny as Robert will be sure to tell it, so you sit down, dear, and let me tell the story.”

Robert feigned an offended look and sat down on the sofa. Oceana giggled loudly at his behavior. Beth ignored it as she launched into the tale.

“Robert and I went for our morning walk (a habit we have made while in Devonshire) and we were already returning to the house when we were most unlucky to bump into that horrible man, Edward Burmmington. Of course he recognized me and asked who the gentleman beside me was. I suppose you can imagine his surprise when I introduced Robert Blackwood as my husband.”

“Ooooh, I can imagine the look on his face, oh, what a pity I was not there to see him.”

“The worst is yet to come, Oceana. Edward got very upset and asked what Robert did for a living, Robert replied he was a surgeon and then Edward looked at me in dismay and said he couldn't believe I traded him for a Scottish doctor. Robert replies that with an attitude like that it is no wonder Edward lost me. Then Edward got really mad and started calling me all sorts of names right to my face. I am not going to repeat them, but needless to say I was very insulted.”

“Doesn't that sound just like him,” Oceana shook her head in disgust. “What did you do to him, Beth?”

“I didn't do anything because Robert got all upset and without a single word reached out and delivered Edward such a blow to the face that Edward falls over to the ground.”

“Why Robert, how marvelous of you, indeed!” Oceana's voice was as delighted as she. “Did you really knock him to the ground with a single blow?”

“Aye, I did.” Robert was obviously very proud of himself.

“And then to add to all the troubles a constable comes up and demands to know what is going on,” Beth refused to allow herself to be distracted from the story. “Robert tells him in the most innocent voice that the young gentleman had been insulting his wife and he simple gave the scoundrel what he deserved. Then the constable turns towards me and asks me to give a him a full account. I tell him everything that happened and he says that we must be moving on. I am only to happy to comply and so we left home. Robert for some reason thought the whole thing very funny and couldn't stop laughing about it.”

“Ah, but ye left out th' best part,” Robert spoke up. “Jus' as we were leavin', the lass turns towards Mr. Burmmington an' says 'be glad that this time it twere a real man hittin' you, Edward, and not Oceana. Ye should hae seen th' look that crossed his face. I dinnae know ye hit him as well, Oceana.”

“Twice in fact, and I don't regret either action. I just wish he would let us all alone and go on with his useless life.”

“I am glad that we are leaving for Scotland soon and won't have to worry about bumping into him again.” Beth spoke in a resolute voice. “We just have to settle our affairs and we will be off. I should think Robert's patients are getting impatient to see him again.”

“You have a way with words, Beth,” Oceana pointed out. “And now that you mentioned our dear Robert's patients, I am reminded of a question I have been meaning to ask you, Dr. Blackwood.”

“Aye?”

“When you came here to London to court Beth, you stayed for several months, how did the hospital react to you just taking off the way you did? And why did they take you back?”

“Fur starters, I dinnae 'jus' take off like that,' Robert corrected Oceana. “I am a resourceful man and came up with an arrangement. I am still a very young surgeon so I arranged for me to come here an' work with a professional to improve my skills.”

“A professional?” Oceana lifed her eyebrow.

“Aye, a professional, he is a good surgeon who and one who happens to be an acquaintance of th' main surgeon at the hospital.”

“Alright, and why didn't you just tell Beth that?”

“Because it wasnae relative to my courtship and I felt it would distract from th' main purpose for which I came to London.”

“And they all say I have a crazy imagination,” Oceana shook her head in disbelief. “Robert Blackwood, the things you are able to come up with. I will have to applaude you though, seeing your plan worked.”

“Aye, it did, didn't it?” Robert looked adoringly at his wife, who in turn looked down, her face becoming a crimson pink.

“Well now that we have all this settled, how about some breakfast?” Oceana suggested, not quite in the mood to have Robert and Beth going sweet on each other while she was present.

“Breakfast sounds like jus' th' thing, this mornin' walk has worked up my appetite,” Robert was all for the idea of eating.

“Good, then let us go. I am hungry myself but I made a point to wait till you got back before eating anything.”

“What of Miss Patterson?” Beth asked as they rose and headed off towards the dining room.

“I believe she had a light meal, and then she had to go and write a few letters or something.”

Robert, Beth and Oceana sat down at the table and waited for the maid to bring the meal.

“Shall you do the cooking when you settle into your new home, Beth?” Oceana asked.

“No. I'm afraid cooking has never been my strong point.”

“No? But then how shall you eat?”

“We shall have a cook, Oceana.”

“Can your husband really afford one?”

“Really, Oceana, it isnae like I am a poor man!” Robert was not flattered by Oceana's words. “Th' hospital pays pretty well an' what is more it is a steady pay, so we can afford to hae a cook.”

Oceana had her own views on this, but figured it probably was not wise to try and intervene with the household of the Blackwoods. “I didn't mean to offend,” she said, putting on a childish smile, “I was just making conversation.”

“Ye ken one sad thing, Oceana,” Robert said with a sigh, “it is impossible to be angry with ye fur long.”

“Oh, that is very true,” Beth agreed. “She will get into something dreadfully silly and you are all upset but then she looks at you all innocent like and you find yourself forgiving her. Charms that mask deceit as Miss Morgan once put it.”

“Let's not talk about Miss Morgan and her opinion of me,” Oceana said.

Beth giggled as she thought over all the trouble Oceana had caused at the orphanage. “Bobby love, will you pass me the jam,” Beth said, thinking this was a safe subject for her to bring up.

“Bobby love?” Oceana looked over at Robert with amusement while she tried very hard not to smirk. “Beth calls you Bobby..Love?”

“Aye, she does, an' that is a name only she can use. To ye, Miss Oceana, I am either Robert or Dr. Blackwood.” Robert kept a calm face, but his eyes spoke more than his words.

“Dinnae fear, Robert,” Oceana reassured, her eyes still filled with jest, “there is no way I would ever want to call you Bobby Love.”

Robert shook his head. “Ye ken what, Beth, there is no need for me to go to th' theater to watch a commedy, the comedy comes straight to me.”

Oceana was filled with millions different replies to Robert's statement, but as she was trying to think of which one would sound the wittiest, Miss Patterson came in.

“Ah, Oceana, how glad I am that you are here. I have received a note from Lt. Chesterton and he says that the Admiral is feeling better and if you and I should be so kind as to accompany them on boat ride down the river Thames the day after tomorrow. I will say right away that I will not go, the very thought of being aboard any sort of boat just makes me sick. I am afraid I am a landswoman through and through. But if you should like to go I can arrange a chaperon to take you.”

Oceana was so delighted at this prospect that she could hardly contain herself. “Oh, I would love to go!” She burst out.

“But Oceana,” Beth put in, “I thought we had arranged to go to see Dr. Wilkens and Stephanie the day after tomorrow.”

“Oh, but surely you can go without me,” Oceana replied.

“Of course they can,” Miss Patterson said.

“Aye, of coorse we can,” Robert confirmed.

“I see I am outvoted,” Beth stated in a rather flat voice.

“Now Beth, don't be cross,” Oceana chided her friend. “Just think of all those letters I received with nothing but Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert, love Beth in them and you shall find that I am not being unfair to you.”

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“Oh, Oceana is just being ridiculous,” Beth waved her hand and figured they could manage the visit without Oceana. The only reason why she wanted to keep Oceana by her side was because she was afraid that this friendship with Lt. Chesterton wasn't going to lead anywhere and Oceana would just end up getting her heart broken. Beth couldn't explain why, but her intuition told her there was a lot more to Wesley than he was showing and she wondered just what would happen when all the secrets came out.

 “Beth, you are just being overprotective,” Beth thought to herself and tried to put all her fears and worries out of her mind. After all, Oceana was not a child anymore and she could certain handle all that life put in her path, even a slightly mysterious and charming young Lieutenant in the King's Royal Navy.

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